here are some answers.....but i gotta ask first.............(very long).

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Posted by IGUANA JOE on March 05, 2001 at 19:41:23:

In Reply to: im new please help! posted by matt shannon on March 05, 2001 at 18:52:20:

Have you ever heard of search engines? (yahoo, lycos, altavista, etc.) Just type "iguana" and you'll find dozens of website on their care, and many by now, are pretty good at it.

But in any case, here are some answers:

1) herbivorous 100%. Unlike some folks might tell you, they SHOULD NEVER eat pinkies, or bugs, and so forth. Veggies only!

2) They get BIG! You cannot dwarf them, if you attempt to do so, they'll die. expect a male to reach 5-6 feet, and a female 3.5-4.5 feet. Records report 7 feet in the wild!

3) Because of their size, and the fact that they're arboreal, they need LARGE cages. As babies, they can be housed in LARGE and TALL aquariums, but after the 2.5 foot mark, u better get going!
The best way to go, is builiding a custom cage. Now, don't be intimidated. Some setups are so easy and practical, even a monkey can do them.
Depending on where you live, you can have an out-door enclosure, or indoor. Considering the potential size, it is better to start with a large enclosure even when they're juveniles, so it will last longer in the long-run, and save you big bucks! The enclosure should at least be:
6 feet tall
6 feet long
4-5 feet deep.
These are the MINIMUN requierements! No, im not kidding. Don't be tricked by commercial ones that are 4'L x3'W x6'H....it's insanely too small!
The IDEAL size is:
7-8+ feet tall
7-8+ feet long
and 5-6+feet wide.
They need to stretch and move about!
If you do not have such space, then an iguana is not for you. Try a spiny tailed iguana (ctenosaura) they get 2-3-4 feet long depending on subspecie, and may include 10% of their diet with animal protein (pinkies and bugs).
I had an enclosure that was 8 feet all aorund!

***NOTE*** Upon success of taming and potty-training an iguana, you can let it free-roam around a room, and the house once it is big enough. Just make sure there are basking spots, and the animal cannot escape/injure itself/ruin the household.
IGUANAS ARE DEMANDING PETS! Lotsa responsibility, time, and dedication is needed! An iguana should last 15 years average, 20 if you do a really good job (the record is 29!).

4) They need a full spectrum UVA/UVB lighting. Zoomed.com is a good source of these lights. Now, these ligths do not really emit much heat, so u'll need a heat lamp as well. All these have to be on one side of the enclosure, so the animal can thermoregulate between cool and warm spots.
At night, ceramic heaters work well. Place them high up, about 6" +/- where the animal basks.

5) Iguanas can bite the beJesus outta you! They have razor sharp teeth, claws to skin you alive, and a tail to raise welts and draw blood, when used as a whip. U could handle the lizard daily, but not too much, or u'll stress it. This takes A LOT OF TIME, since igs are wild exotic animals. With time, they'll tame down, and some cases have "realtionships" with their animals. This is not the norm, but it can be accomplished.
Iguanas will not love you, play with you, or fetch u the slippers. They can though trust you, and respect you as their carekeeper, feeder, etc.

6) HYGENE is mandatory! Enclosure should be cleaned and dissinfected daily. Water replaced twice, and both water/food bowl be cleaned at the end of the day.

In concllusion:

I don't mean to be rude, or evil, but you don't sound ready for an iguana. The fact that you came here not knowing a single thing kinda puts you in a difficult position to care for it properly.
If you really do want one do the following:

Read as many posts on this forum as possible, and either print or copy/paste important ones on a Word doc. This way, you can always go back to them.
Keep asking as many questions as u wish. There are no stupid questions, only stupid people who don't ask at all.
VISIT Melissa Kaplan's Iguana Site (look it up). It provides great info, though some is debatable.

BUY A BOOK! BUY A BOOK! Go to Amazon.com, and look for either James Hatfield's Ultimate Iguana Manual (about $32) and/or Melissa Kaplan's "Iguanas for Dummies" (cheaper).
Richard D. Barlett also wrote an excellent one, but it is a bit outdated in the diet of the animal. It costs only $5, so do as u please. U can usually find this one at petshops.

Learn to walk before u learn how to fly.
Others here will reply valuable information. But u have to do ur homework before keeping an iguana.

If it sounds too involving, consider a leopard gecko (love 'em!), a bearded dragon, or a kingsnake (very hardy and low maintenance).
The three above are somewhat cheaper to house/maintain/and feed.

Good luck, nd if u got more q's, please ask.
c-ya!

(.....man....my hands are numb...!)

: i am really intrested in getting an iguana and i need to know some things about them what should the basic set up be.. what do they have to have... and what things do they like can someone please help?!

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: Have you ever heard of search engines? (yahoo, lycos, altavista, etc.) Just type "iguana" and you'll find dozens of website on their care, and many by now, are pretty good at it. : But in any case, here are some answers: : 1) herbivorous 100%. Unlike some folks might tell you, they SHOULD NEVER eat pinkies, or bugs, and so forth. Veggies only! : 2) They get BIG! You cannot dwarf them, if you attempt to do so, they'll die. expect a male to reach 5-6 feet, and a female 3.5-4.5 feet. Records report 7 feet in the wild! : 3) Because of their size, and the fact that they're arboreal, they need LARGE cages. As babies, they can be housed in LARGE and TALL aquariums, but after the 2.5 foot mark, u better get going! : The best way to go, is builiding a custom cage. Now, don't be intimidated. Some setups are so easy and practical, even a monkey can do them. : Depending on where you live, you can have an out-door enclosure, or indoor. Considering the potential size, it is better to start with a large enclosure even when they're juveniles, so it will last longer in the long-run, and save you big bucks! The enclosure should at least be: : 6 feet tall : 6 feet long : 4-5 feet deep. : These are the MINIMUN requierements! No, im not kidding. Don't be tricked by commercial ones that are 4'L x3'W x6'H....it's insanely too small! : The IDEAL size is: : 7-8+ feet tall : 7-8+ feet long : and 5-6+feet wide. : They need to stretch and move about! : If you do not have such space, then an iguana is not for you. Try a spiny tailed iguana (ctenosaura) they get 2-3-4 feet long depending on subspecie, and may include 10% of their diet with animal protein (pinkies and bugs). : I had an enclosure that was 8 feet all aorund! : ***NOTE*** Upon success of taming and potty-training an iguana, you can let it free-roam around a room, and the house once it is big enough. Just make sure there are basking spots, and the animal cannot escape/injure itself/ruin the household. : IGUANAS ARE DEMANDING PETS! Lotsa responsibility, time, and dedication is needed! An iguana should last 15 years average, 20 if you do a really good job (the record is 29!). : 4) They need a full spectrum UVA/UVB lighting. Zoomed.com is a good source of these lights. Now, these ligths do not really emit much heat, so u'll need a heat lamp as well. All these have to be on one side of the enclosure, so the animal can thermoregulate between cool and warm spots. : At night, ceramic heaters work well. Place them high up, about 6" +/- where the animal basks. : 5) Iguanas can bite the beJesus outta you! They have razor sharp teeth, claws to skin you alive, and a tail to raise welts and draw blood, when used as a whip. U could handle the lizard daily, but not too much, or u'll stress it. This takes A LOT OF TIME, since igs are wild exotic animals. With time, they'll tame down, and some cases have "realtionships" with their animals. This is not the norm, but it can be accomplished. : Iguanas will not love you, play with you, or fetch u the slippers. They can though trust you, and respect you as their carekeeper, feeder, etc. : 6) HYGENE is mandatory! Enclosure should be cleaned and dissinfected daily. Water replaced twice, and both water/food bowl be cleaned at the end of the day. : In concllusion: : I don't mean to be rude, or evil, but you don't sound ready for an iguana. The fact that you came here not knowing a single thing kinda puts you in a difficult position to care for it properly. : If you really do want one do the following: : Read as many posts on this forum as possible, and either print or copy/paste important ones on a Word doc. This way, you can always go back to them. : Keep asking as many questions as u wish. There are no stupid questions, only stupid people who don't ask at all. : VISIT Melissa Kaplan's Iguana Site (look it up). It provides great info, though some is debatable. : BUY A BOOK! BUY A BOOK! Go to Amazon.com, and look for either James Hatfield's Ultimate Iguana Manual (about $32) and/or Melissa Kaplan's "Iguanas for Dummies" (cheaper). : Richard D. Barlett also wrote an excellent one, but it is a bit outdated in the diet of the animal. It costs only $5, so do as u please. U can usually find this one at petshops. : Learn to walk before u learn how to fly. : Others here will reply valuable information. But u have to do ur homework before keeping an iguana. : If it sounds too involving, consider a leopard gecko (love 'em!), a bearded dragon, or a kingsnake (very hardy and low maintenance). : The three above are somewhat cheaper to house/maintain/and feed. : Good luck, nd if u got more q's, please ask. : c-ya! : (.....man....my hands are numb...!) : : : i am really intrested in getting an iguana and i need to know some things about them what should the basic set up be.. what do they have to have... and what things do they like can someone please help?!

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